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Friday, June 26, 2009

Many members of the South Texas College of Law should be familiar with the databases available via Stanley in the Electronic Resources channel on the Library tab. This conveniently allows you to access databases away from the South Texas campus.

The Fred Parks Law Library has recently joined a program with Google Scholar to allow you to access the same journals available in EBSCO databases, such as MEDLINE and Academic Search Complete, in Google Scholar search results. Now if you are on the South Texas campus and searching for titles in Google Scholar a link will automatically appear next to the title of a result linking to the full text.

There is nothing extra you as a researcher need to do. Simply type your query in Google Scholar, hit search and if the result is available in an EBSCO database there will be a link next to the result taking you directly to the article.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Judicial nominees, including nominees to United States Supreme Court, are required to complete a bipartisan questionnaire compiled by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Judge Sonia Sotomayor's questionnaire and related attachment are available on the Senate Judiciary Comittee's website.

The document submitted to the committee catalogues all of Sotomayor's decisions in 17 years as a federal judge, awards she has received and groups of which she has been a member. Also included in the questionnaire are the transcripts of 83 speeches given from 1993 until April of this year. (Washington Post)

Thursday, June 4, 2009

As we look forward to Dean Donald Guter joining the South Texas family, one can’t help but think that we are losing a great advocate and friend in Dean Alfini. (Ok, so we aren’t really losing him, he’s just relocating to the sixth floor.) While we look forward to the future with our new Dean and President, let’s take a moment to look back at Dean Alfini's contributions to legal education.

James Alfini became the ninth dean and president of South Texas College of Law on August 1, 2003. Prior to joining the South Texas, he served as Dean of Northern Illinois University College of Law, and taught at NIU, Florida State University College of Law, Chicago-Kent School of Law, Hamline University School of Law and Santa Clara University School of Law. He has expertise in judicial ethics and dispute resolution. He served as the Director of Education and Research of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center and was a member of the Florida Supreme Court Arbitration and Mediation Rules Committee. He has served as the chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section and the Chair of the AALS Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. Under his deanship, South Texas created the Centers of Excellence and stressed the importance of pro bono work. He has published numerous books and articles, a selection of which is on display in the Library lobby along with photos and other items from the Archives until the end of the summer.

Jim Alfini will step down as Dean this summer and join the faculty full-time. While we know he will still be an advocate for the school and the students, we will miss his leadership. Enjoy your "retirement," Dean Alfini!

Monday, June 1, 2009

The Law Library of Congress has launched a new website on Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The site contains a bibliography of articles written by Sotomayor (accessible via HeinOnline on the Library tab in Stanley), along with Congressional documents, and web resources. Additional material will be added throughout the nomination process.

The Fred Parks Law Library

Welcome to the blog for The Fred Parks Law Library at the South Texas College of Law. Here you will find the latest news concerning the law library as well as valuable legal tools, research, and information.